♥ Instead of the Chocolate drink which is 7 carbs, why not have the chocolate pudding as a drink for only 3 carbs!! Just add 10 - 12 oz of water I like mine with a bit of instant decaf coffee, some coconut extract & a bit of splenda...so good

♥Add a bit of coconut extract to your raspberry jello for a change of flavor!

♥Turn your vanilla pudding in to a shake by adding about 10 oz of water. Add a dash of vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon and some splenda to make it seem like a delicious no no

♥for those hungry days - Use romaine lettuce in stir fry's in place of celery or bok choy, that way you can have your 2 cups of veggies plus the lettuce in your stir fry, it makes it seem like more food but without adding carb filled veggies. Trust me, you won't even notice it's lettuce!

♥Add some diet splenda sweetened ginger ale to your raspberry jello to give it some effervescence!

♥Superstore has blue label ketchup that is comparable to my recipe - 1 carb per serving...easier than making your own ketchup.

♥I've heard the WF ketchup is similar to cocktail sauce for anyone who's looking for something like that

♥if you feel the need to cheat, have a big glass of water and wait 15 minutes, if the craving hasn't gone away then grab your favorite IP package of food; A 4th package is going to be much... better for you than any other choice

♥Having trouble getting all your salt in everyday? Sprinkle a pinch in your water bottle every time you fill it up, or add a little to your IP puddings and shakes...it won't change the taste at all and you'll be ensuring you get your required salt everyday!

♥Try a veggie you've never tried before; you might find you have a new favorite veggie. Bok Choy & Napa cabbage are two of my new low carb favorites. Don't know how to use it - try my bok choy soup recipe!

♥Make an "IP Emergency Kit" in your purse. Include a days vitamins, sea salt, an extra IP pack, some splenda packages and a WF dressing package for those emergency days when you find yourself stuck.

♥use your water flavorings in 1L of water instead of 500 mls. This will cut down on the extra carbs & artificial sweeteners/flavorings you're taking in and in a few days you won't even notice the difference anymore!

♥Don't get stuck in a rut eating the same things over and over again, it's the easiest way to get sick of a diet and cheat. Try a new recipe, prepare your veggies in a new way. Have you borrowed an IP Cookbook from your coach? Have you tried roasting cauliflower or eating asparagus raw? Shake things up, you might find a new favorite!

♥Experiment to keep it interesting!

Don't rely on the same meals over and over again to get you through this diet, that is a sure fire way to fall off the wagon. Go online and look up low carb recipes, grab one from our discussion boards, borrow a cook book from Trista, take old favorites and add new spices...change it up so that you don't get bored and give up!

Mix up the packages into new flavors - I recently started adding half a package of chocolate pudding and half a package of cappuccino to 10 oz of water then pouring it in a mug and heating it for about a minute (give or take depending on the microwave). It's delicious and comforting and rich. Next I'm going to blend it with ice to make a yummy mocha ice cap!

or how about a double iced cappuccino (1 pkg of cappuccino mixed and 8 oz of coffee shaken over ice).

Experimenting with flavors and new ideas will keep you on the track to success!

♥ask questions & plan ahead!!

If you go out to a restaurant you can mix and match different dishes to accommodate your needs on Ideal Protein! Most restaurants will dry grill your food, change salads around to suit your needs, pull vegetables from one entree to serve as a side dish on your entree...all you have to do is ask!

It also helps to plan ahead, most restaurants show their menu online so you can plan your meal ahead of time and have a firm plan in place by the time you get to the restaurant with hunger and a weakened resolve!

What restaurants do you eat at on IP? What do you order? Feel free to share your ideas with everyone on the forum - knowledge is power & success for us all

♥Whether you have 20 lbs to lose and you're losing it a pound at a time or 100 to lose and you're losing it 4 or 5 at a time it can get overwhelming to think about getting to that end goal. Focus on mini-goals to achieve one at a time and reward yourself along the way; before you know it, you'll be there!

I put $50 in a jar for every month I'm on program with no cheats, at the end I hope to have about $600 to put toward a new wardrobe! I've also gotten a pedicure, a haircut & a new bike as rewards for my success. We don't always have to celebrate with food!

"I can't lose 120 lbs that's too hard to do but I can lose 10 lbs 12 times, that I know I can do!"

♥Have you been craving something you can't have? Try using the flavor profile from what you crave to create a meal that will satisfy your craving but keep you on program!

Getting sick of having the same old IP Foods? I know I was...I lived off the puddings for three months straight. I got brave and tried a couple of new packages recenlty... I had the cereal for the first time the other day and it's not too bad when you make it with ice cold water! Today I'm going to try the blueberry pom drink (gotta get that collagen in right!). So try something new on IP because A) your taste buds change on after a while on the diet and B) variety helps with success.

thanks for the tips. I tried one today! I didn't like the texture of puddings so today, i took about half cup of coffee, cup of water, cup of ice (i know, sounds like a lot) and chocolate pudding mixture, blended it up, and i got a light tasting but thick mocha ice drink. I'm full I'm going to try your vanilla pudding one tomorrow. I saw one for a butterscotch somewhere in one of the threads but I forget what it was all about

Have you found yourself stalling a little bit in your weight loss? Incorporate some light exercise in to your routine 3 or4 times a week, it will surely boost your weight loss as you shake things up! Do something you love and it won't seem like exercise! Just remember not to get your heart rate up & stick to around 30 minutes per day.

- biking
- swimming
- walking
- pilates
- free weights

The summer is a great time to add exercise into your life, the weather is great, it costs nothing & the benefits are huge.

They sell it at my IP location for $10. With my weekly bills totalling $80+ per week, I can't justify the extra expense. If someone out there has already bought it or been able to borrow it, perhaps they could scan it and post it in the recipes thread for all to use???

Thanks for all of the great tips, Jordanna! I'm just into week 3, and find myself getting bored with the same ol' 2 cups of veggies-5 oz. meat thing. I made buffalo chicken wraps last weekend with bib lettuce leaves as the "wrap", hot sauce, and added tomatos, red onion, baby spinach, and WF bleu cheese dressing (I found the recipe somewhere in the "recipes" thread on here). They were AWESOME! Variety really helps keep us on track! Let's keep motivating each other!

I believe Jordanna means "the elements of the taste you crave" when she says flavor profile.

For instance, if you want Mexican, break out the elements of that are IP friendly - cumin, chili pepper, garlic, onion, cilantro, maybe lime, oregano, chipotle or jalapeno pepper. Create a recipe around those flavors. For rice you can use finely grated cauliflower (recipe is in the recipes2 thread) or for black beans you can use black soy beans (available canned by Eden Organics online or at whole foods and health food stores). You can make a shell-less taco salad, taco "lettuce wraps", fajitas, chili, calabasa (summer squash/zucchini) soup, fish baked in a salsa, and other things.

If you like Indian foods look for elements of the curries and vegetable dishes. Indian food is a resource for EXCELLENT vegetarian dish options and can really take the boring out of our vegetable choices.

The more water you drink the better you will feel. Don't limit yourself to 8 glasses a day, that's just the minimum required.

Here are some tips to help you get more water in:

Drink a glass before every meal & snack
Carry a water bottle with you at all times
Flavor your water with lemon or lime juice
Add some cucumber and mint to your water
Go walking for 30 minutes and make a goal to drink 1L along the way
Flavor your water with splenda sweetened flavorings

Thank you for the information. The support, suggestions and information are wonderful. The coach has about 10 minutes and doesn't seem to have the information you all do. 3 weeks and down 16 1/2 pounds. That's with a cheat day. The information you "experienced" IP folks share is invaluable. Thanks again! Jean

*some people still drink soda on IP, some are against it entirely
*some people drink carbinated or sparkling waters, some people have been
told not too
*you're allowed caffinated tea and coffee but must replace it with an additional glass of water after the first cup